De Alliantie veegt Frankrijk schoon, 1815 Possibly 1815 - 1816

Editor: This is "De Alliantie veegt Frankrijk schoon," or "The Alliance Sweeping France Clean," a print made by Johann Michael Voltz, likely between 1815 and 1816. It's a pretty blunt caricature. What jumps out at me is the way the map of France is literally being swept clean. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It’s fascinating how Voltz uses the visual symbol of sweeping to represent the political cleansing of France after Napoleon's defeat. Notice how the Allied soldiers, rendered as towering figures, wield their brooms to expel smaller figures, presumably symbolic of Napoleon's influence, off the map. The brooms become powerful symbols of foreign intervention and the restoration of the old order. The action itself invokes folk traditions of cleansing rituals. Editor: So the act of sweeping isn’t just practical, but also symbolic of a desire to purge France of revolutionary ideals? Curator: Precisely! The act alludes to sweeping away the remnants of revolution and Napoleonic rule, restoring France to its pre-revolutionary state, or at least the vision the alliance holds for the country. Have you noticed which direction the figures are being swept? Editor: Towards the edge of the map, out of France entirely! It’s not just about cleaning up, it’s about expulsion. Curator: Indeed. Consider too how the caricature simplifies complex political events into a digestible visual metaphor, playing on popular anxieties and sentiments. In this way, what continuities do you observe regarding ways current artists invoke cultural symbols for political aims? Editor: It's amazing how much information and meaning can be conveyed through such a seemingly simple image, and to realize that political cartooning has such a long history! Curator: It highlights the enduring power of symbols to shape our understanding of historical events.